2007 Mercedes S-Class Owner's Manual - Page 46

Safety and Security Occupant safety Air bags Air bags or emergency tensioning devices, for example, could deploy inadvertently or fail to deploy in accidents although the deceleration threshold for air bag deployment is exceeded. Therefore, never modify the restraint systems. Do not tamper with electronic components or their software. In addition, improper work on the SRS creates a risk of rendering the SRS inoperative or causing unintended air bag deployment. Work on the SRS must therefore only be performed by qualified technicians. Contact an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center. If it is necessary to modify an air bag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact your local authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call our Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-FOR-MERCedes (1-800-367-6372) for details. Warning! G Warning! G In the event that the = indicator lamp comes on during driving or does not come on at all, the SRS self-check has detected a malfunction. For your safety, we strongly recommend that you visit an authorized Mercedes-Benz Center immediately to have the system checked; otherwise the SRS may not deploy when needed in an accident, which could result in serious or fatal injury, or it might deploy unexpectedly and unnecessarily which could also result in injury. Air bags are designed to reduce the potential of injury and fatality in certain frontal impacts (front air bags), side impacts (side impact air bags and head protection window curtain air bags) or rollovers (head protection window curtain air bags). However, no system available today can totally eliminate injuries and fatalities. The deployment of the air bags temporarily releases a small amount of dust from the air bags. This dust, however, is neither injurious to your health, nor does it indicate a fire in the vehicle. The dust might cause some temporary breathing difficulty for people with asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, you may wish to get out of the vehicle as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have any breathing difficulty but cannot get out of the vehicle after the air bag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a window or door. 45